Furthermore: Confer your own prize

Is anyone cheering the decision of the Nobel Peace Prize committee this year? Besides the Taliban, that is?

Most thought that, surely, the prize would go to the Pakistani schoolgirl who courageously stood up to Taliban thugs to champion education for girls.

Yes, in large swaths of the Muslim world — especially places where the Taliban have any say — education for girls is highly controversial. Dangerous to any who seek it. Determined to silence the amazingly courageous Malala Yousafzai, 16, the Taliban shot her in the head. She survived and vows to fight on. The Taliban vows to finish her off.

Was there ever a clearer, more obvious choice for the Nobel Peace Prize? She stood — alone — for progress and human dignity against the forces of ignorance and intolerance.

But the Nobel panel gave the prize instead to U.N.’s Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons. Pfffft. It was another one of those prospective awards — like the one the panel absurdly gave to President Obama just 9 months into his first term. The chemical weapons outfit is tasked with eliminating the Assad WMD stockpile in Syria. It’s barely even started the job.

The Nobel Peace Prize panel has long been more interested in politics than peace. Politics and political correctness. The panel no doubt couldn’t abide the thought of doing anything that might seem in any way a critical gesture toward the Muslim world.

But here’s a way to give the panel the much deserved bird and at the same time promote real peace and progress. There’s a fund in Malala’s name to support schooling for girls in the too many places in the world where it’s denied. Go to www.malalafund.org and make a donation.